Dovi Afesi, professor of history at Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts and a former assistant professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, died on December 2. He was 71 years old.

Dr. Afesi was a native of Ghana in West Africa. He came to the United States to attend preparatory school and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Afesi earned a Ph.D. in history at Michigan State University.

Dr. Afesi began teaching at the University of Massachusetts in 1972 and retired in 1984. Since that time he has returned to campus as a visiting lecturer. He joined the faculty at Greenfield Community College in the early years of this century.

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Professional sports teams have discontinued playing Kate Smith’s version of “God Bless America” at games due to her recording of songs in the 1930s that contained racist lyrics. Which statement best reflects your view?

I agree that Smith’s version of “God Bless America” should not be played.

Smith’s recordings with racist lyrics should be considered in context of the times.

Abraham Lincoln made racist comments, should we ban the reciting of the Gettysburg Address?